College

College Board Changes in AP Classes

College Board is preparing several new AP classes, including Pre-Calculus for the 2023-24 academic year, and African-American Studies for the following year. The Pre-Calculus AP class is designed to replace standard pre-calc classes in schools, rather than serving as an additional, Honors-like program. Other new AP classes in development include Anatomy & Physiology and Business Principles (an AP course focused on economics and entrepreneurship). The development of digital options for AP classes is also picking…

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More Information on the Digital SAT

With the announcement of the new digital SAT, College Board has left some key details out, especially regarding how the exam will be scored. The typical message has been somewhat dismissive, assuring us that the scoring is handled by their finely tuned algorithm and that it’s complicated. Through analysis of the new SAT’s scoring, it was found that each test question is weighted, with some questions having a greater impact on scores than others do.…

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Best Extracurriculars for College Apps

While different schools put different stock in extracurriculars, almost every college considers them when deciding which students to admit. For example, the University of South Florida ranks extracurricular activities just behind grades, difficulty of coursework, and standardized test scores in terms of importance. The right high school activities can make a big difference during the admissions process. According to a study by California State University, Sacramento, extracurricular activities are positively correlated with attendance, GPA, test…

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Scholarships in MA You May Not Know About

Scholarship opportunities in the state of Massachusetts are available across a range of academic disciplines and vocational outcomes. There are grants and scholarships for those applicants whose needs are based on financial factors. There are also funds available for those with outstanding grades or test scores. Follow any of the links below to continue exploring the many possibilities behind Massachusetts scholarships. GFWC Massachusetts Scholarships The Massachusetts chapter of the General Federation of Women’s Clubs offers…

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5 Ways to Engage Introverts in the Classroom

It may be a misconception regarding personality traits that the more verbal, outgoing classroom extroverts maintain superior classroom or academic ability. While introverts are not at a cognitive deficit when compared to extroverts, the personality type may pose obstacles for instructors who value regular classroom engagement. Here are five brief ways that instructors may be able to better support the personalities and enhance engagement of student introverts in the classroom setting. 1. Build in peer-support…

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6 Tips for Students Transferring Colleges

It’s essential for students to like and be a good fit for the school they attend. No matter where students find themselves in their college journeys, they may need help navigating the search and application process to ensure students end up at an institution where they can truly thrive. Nearly a quarter of American college students who start at one four-year institution will transfer to a different one to finish their degree. So, if you’re…

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8 Strategies for Juniors to Improve College Chances This Summer

Attention, high school juniors: keep the momentum going this summer. You’ve made it this far, and now is not the time to lose steam. Use your time wisely to get ahead. What you do this summer could be the factor that pushes your application from a no or maybe to a yes. Here’s your college to do list for the summer. 1. Draft your college essay. By starting your college essay over the summer, you…

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MIT an Outlier in Reinstating SAT/ACT Scores for Admissions

As more than two-thirds of all U.S. colleges and universities continue to make admissions decisions without requiring ACT or SAT scores, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology made news by restoring its admissions testing requirement. Exam supporters jumped on the story, suggesting a wave of similar decisions at other schools. One story declared that the SAT isn’t unfair, society is, as if both couldn’t be true. Such reactions based in the false notion that standardized test…

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How College Scorecard Helps Find Affordable College

The College Scorecard has gotten a makeover. And no, this has nothing to do with your March Madness bracket. The Scorecard is an online trove of federal data that can help prospective students choose the college that’s right for them – and, just maybe, avoid a lifetime of student debt and heartache. The site, collegescorecard.ed.gov, can tell you a lot about a school – from its graduation rate and the earnings of former students, to how much…

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How COVID-19 and Omicron Affects Colleges This Semester

As the omicron variant rapidly spreads, more colleges are adopting policies to discourage—or in some cases ban—students from being on campus in January. Generally, the colleges that are acting start up the first week in January. Institutions with later starts tend to be waiting to decide. DePaul, Harvard and Stanford University students won’t have in-person classes the first weeks of the semester, those universities announced; Pennsylvania State University, the University of California, Los Angeles, and…

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